Composition for and method of clarifying turbid aqueous solutions



, Patented 8, 1942 I f 2,285,992 i omrso j STAT-EST P T NT. OFFICE sss m" fl%ea2ssee" Rowland 3. Kalil], Lakewood, 'ohio assignor Peabody Crial Company, Chicag No Drawing.

o, 11]., a corpo- Application April '19, 1940, Serial '1 Claims. 210-23) -This invention relates to a composition for and to. a method of clarifyingturbid aqueous solutions, More particularly the invention relates to a composition of matter for min the treatment of municipal and industrial waters to clarify the same.

In conventional sedimentation processes for the treatment of water, it is customary to employ alum and lime to bring about aflocculation that serves to carry down the matter suspended in the water undergoing treatment. I have now devised a different type of composition for the treatment of water, the use which results in a more ef-, I

iective clarification f the water ,than is possible through the use of the conventional alum and lime treatment.

According to my present invention, a treating are not adapted for use in the method of my pres-'- ent invention, since the presence of humic substances tends to prevent rather than bring about the fluocculation that is so essential to theeffectiveness of my method.

For my purposes, I find'it desirable to usea high volatile coal for the reason that'this type of coal, whenin finely divided form, has a strong tendency to float when first added to water.

v The floating or suspended particles of the coal serve as nuclei for the formation of docs, produced by the interaction of the chemical compounds associated with the coal and the dissolved salts normally present in the water. The rapid settling of the fiocs so formed is facilitated by the wetting action of the dior trlsodium phosphate on the coal particles, with the result that the settling out of the docs, together with the adsorbed or occluded suspension matter in the water takes place more rapidly than when alum and lime are used in the conventional sedimentation processes.

Itis therefore an important object of this invention to provide a composition for use. inthe clarification of turbid waters, the ingredients and proportions of such composition being so'selected V carries down with it the smpendedmatter causingturbidityinthe water.

It is a further important object of this in vention to provide a method of clarifying turbid waters by the use of a composition comprising high volatile coal particles and chemicals associated therewith capable of interacting to form an e'ifectivefloc about the coal particles as nuclei and of wetting such coal particles to bring about their rapid subsidence after doc-formation has taken place. J

It is a further important object of this invention to provide animproved composition for use in the clarifying of turbid. aqueous solutions that is superior to the conventional alum, or alum and lime heretofore used.

The composition of my invention comprises a dry, mixture of high volatile coahamund to mesh or finer, ferric sulfate',,sodium meta silicate,

20' and dior trisodium phosphate, preferably disodium phosphate. By "high volatile coal" is meant a coal having an analysis that parallels the analysis of Christian County, Illinois A typical analysis of Christian County, Illinois coal isas follows:

that the humic substances named in that patent finely divided form, tt float in water. Owing to 40 this property of high volatile coal, its presence in the treating composition in major proportions serves to prevent the composition, upon its addition to water, from sinking rapidly to the bottom of the treating vessel and by keeping the compovsition in a floating or suspended state for a longer period after its addition serves to-increase the effectiveness of the flocculating action. By reason of the buoyant properties of the high volatile 'coal -particles, a major proportion of the iloc formation and growthoccurs at or near the surface of the Water, with the result that during the settling out of the floc, the suspended matter causing turbidity in the water is very effectively carried down with the 11003..

as to form a rapidly settlable floc thateifectivelyferric sulfate sodium meta silicate present in my treating composition react, upon addition tofwater, to form an iron silicate floc. Ferric chloride is not the equivalent of ferric sulfate for this purpose, since the chloride ion content of ferric chloride would tend to retard the settling out of the flocs. Ferrous sulfate is not a satisfactory substitute for ferric sulfate because, owing to its hygroscopic nature, it would be likely to form an insoluble compound with the silicate while the composition 'is in storage and ents separately to the water that is to be treated,

, such a method would not be nearly so satisfacprior to its use. Consequently, I prefer to use satisfactorily, partly owing to their lower solu-=' bility in cold water. In addition to acting as a wetting agent to wet out the coal particles, the diand trisodium phosphates aid in fioc formatlon and growth.

The following will serve to illustrate a preferred analysis of my treating composition:

By. wt,

per cent High volatile coal 68-70 Ferric sulfate, Fe2(SO4)a 13-1? Sodium meta silicate, Nazsios 3-? Disodium phosphate, Na204l2H2O 3-7 The proportion of high volatile coal in the composition may vary between 50 and 80% by weight.

. With variations of the coal content within the range indicated, however, the relative proportions of ferric sulfate, sodium meta silicate and dior trisodium phosphate should be kept roughly within the ratios indicated for these ingredients in the above' formula. In other-words, the ratio of iron sulfate to sodium-meta silicate or to dior trisodium phosphate should be between 2 to l and about 6 to 1. If the respective ingredients are permitted to vary considerably beyond, these proportions, one or more of the ingredients gets out of balance, with the result that the flocculating action is not so complete and efficient as it should be in the removal of the added chemicals as well as in the clarification of the water undergoing treatment. It is not desirable to have an excess of sodium silicate, since that would leave sodium silicate in solution in the treated water, after sedimentation. Similarly, an excess of ferric sulfate would result in free iron compounds being left in suspension after flocculation and sedimentation. Thus, when the composition is out of balance, non-settlable, fine tory as adding a'prepared mixture having the constituent chemicals and coal present in the proper proportion. My invention does not exelude, however, the possibility of adding the several ingredients separately to the water undergoing treatment.

The equipment and technique to be used in connection with the treatment of water with the composition of my invention are similar to those conventionally used in the alum and lime method of treating water, A portion of the water to be treated is divertedinto a run: u chamber,

where my composition is added, and after being thoroughly mixed and passed over bames, the portion of the water so treated is then admixed with the main body of water., The rate oi flow of the main body of water is adjusted so that flocculation and precipitation can be rendered com= plete before the water. leaves the sedimentation base. Y

In accordance with the alum and ing composition, but it is preferable to addthe lime after my treating composition has been added. The lime aids in the flocculation byac celerating the action of the coagulants present. The amount of lime to be added will depend upon the calcium content of the water undergoing treatment and can be readily demrmined by those I skilled in the art.

' The amount of my compositionto be added to the water will also depend upon the analysis of the water, the amount of suspended matter and other factors usually taken into consideration in similar treatments of water. Ordinarily, a ton of my composition will be the equivalent of about four tons of alum in the alum and lime meth'odoi vide an extended surface for fioc formation. In

combination with the other ingredients of my composition, the coal particles serve to produce a gelatinous composition in the form of does,-

which during growth gather to themselves the suspended matter. causing turbidity in the water and also the undesirable constituents of thewater, such as those giving rise to odors. After sedimentation is complete, the treated water. is

left in a clear, purified condition. y

It, will, of course, be understood that various details of the process may be varied through a wide range without departing from the princidocs are likely to be formed and the treated water the form of a dry, pulverulant mass that can be readily packaged forshipment to the point of its use.

While it would be possible to add the ingrediples of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted herein otherwise t han necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A water (treating composition comprising a dry mixture including major proportions of pulverulent high volatile coal and minor but substantial proportions of ferric sulfate, sodium silicate and a sodium phosphate.

2. A composition for use in the clarification of turbid water comprising a mixture of major proportions of a high volatile coal of such particle size as tobecapable of temporarily floating on lime method treatment. it is feasible, in carrying out my .method, to add lime in addition to the composition. above described. ,The lemay be added either before, during or after the addition of my treatwater, and minor but substantial proportions of ferric sulfate, sodium silicate and a sodium phos phate in amounts such as to react upon introduction into water to form argelatinous fioc that will remove substantially all of the constituents of the composition upon being settled out.

3. The method of clarifying turbid aqueous solutions which comprises adding to water to be clarified a mixture including major proportions of high volatile coal in finely divided condition and minor but substantial proportions of ferric sulfate, sodium silicate and a sodium phosphate.

4. A water treating composition comprising from 50 to 80% of pulverulant high volatile coal, from 13 to 17% of ferric sulfate, from 3 to 7% of sodium meta silicate and from 3 to 7% of a sodium phosphate.

5. A water treating composition comprising about 68 to 70% of a high volatile coal in finely divided condition, 13 to 17% of ferric sulfate, 3 20 to 7% of sodium meta silicate and 3 to 5% of disodium phosphate. 6. The method of clarifying turbid aqueous solutions, which comprises adding to water to be clarified a mixture of. from 50 to 80% of a high volatile coal in finely divided state, and minor but substantial amounts of ferric sulfate, sodium meta silicate and a sodium phosphate in such proportions as to form a gelatinous floc that upon settling out will remove substantially all of the constituents of said mixture.

7. The method of clarifying turbid aqueous solutions, which comprises adding to water to be clarified a mixture of from 50 to 80% of a high volatile coal, from 13 to 17 of ferric sulfate, from 3 to 7% of sodium meta silicate and fro 3 to 7% of disodium phosphate.

ROWLAND R. MAGILL. 

